Coin-controlled locking mechanism.



t unlocking position in dotted lines.

' UNITED STATES Patented :muy 7, 19o-s.

PATENT OFFICE.

GALES P. MOORE, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO TH CONTROLLER COMPANY OF AMERICA, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION OF MISSOURI.

COIN-CONTROLLED LOCKING M ECHANISM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 732,772, dated July 7, 1903.

Application tiled July 21, 1902.

ing Mechanisms, of `which the following is a.

full, clear, and exact description, such as lwill enable others skilled inthe art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference lo being had to the accompanying drawings,y

forming part of this specification, in which- Figure l is an elevation showing the casing in section, the locking-bar being shown in normal locking position in full lines and in Fig. lavis a fragmentary view of the character of Fig. 1, the locking-bar being shown in a position intermediate to those illustrated in Fig. l. Fig. 2 is a vertical elevation, partly in section, on-

4no the line 2 2, Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a top plan view on the line 3 3 of Fig. l. Fig. Lisa top plan view on the lineat 4 of Fig. l. Fig. 5 isa fragmentary viewin side elevation, and Fig. 6 is a sectional view on line 6 6 of Fig. 5.

ing mechanisms, and more particularly to telephone-locks of the character indicated, my object being primarily to simplify the construction of and to reduce the number of parts 3o used in apparatus of this type.

A further object is to provide such a construction that the telephone-receiver suspen# sion-hook can be locked bya mechanism embodying but a'single movable part, the in- 3 5 serted coin itself serving to so cooperate with said part that the hook can be unlocked.

To these ends and also to improve generally upon devices of the vcharacter indicated my invention consists in the various matters here- 4o inafter described and claimed.

Referring now more -particularly to the drawings, 1 indicates a telephone-box, which can be of any suitable construction, and 2 indicates the customary suspension-hook for the telephone-receiver 3. A box or casing 4; is secured to the wall or other suitable support to extend at the side of said telephone-box in such manner that the hereinafter-described locking-bar lies over the said suspension- My invention relates to coin-controlled lockf Serial No. 116,397. (No model.)

hook, said casing containing the hereinaftermentioned locking mechanism and being provided with a coin-raceway 6 and also with a horizontal slot 7 in its bottom wall, suitable guides 8 preferably extending from said slot. A substantially vertically slidable lockingbar 9 is movable through said slot and between the said guides 8 and the guides l0, said'locking-bar preferably resting immediately above the receiver suspension-hook. A

'stop-lug or other suitable member 12 is provided-upon the casing and is so related to lthe locking bar that normally the lower corner of said lug lies in the path of the upward movement of a part upon said bar, and said lower corner thus forms a stop which prevents such movement of said bar. The coin raceway is vadapted to receive a coin when laid dat therein and delivers the deposited coin against a suitable stop upon the casing-as, for example, thewall13-the coin preferably coming to rest against said wall before it has entirely leftthe raceway and when substantially the center of the coin is above the corner of the locking-bar adjacent the same, a second projection or stop, as the angular portion 14 of the casing-wall, being provided 'above the coin and to the side of the locking-bar opposite the walll. The space between ythe guides 8`for the passage of the locking-bar at its lower' end is substantially equal to the width of the lockingbar, so that when thebar is in lowermost position lateral movement of its lower end is impossible. This space gradually widens, however, toward its upper portion in order to permit the hereinafter-mentioned' play of the bar. Normally the locking-bar rests in lowermost position upon the upper edge of the receiver suspension-hook, being held in this position by its own weight, although this weight can be supplemented by'a light coiled spring 15, attached to the bar andto a suitable portion of the casing, this spring lnot only tending to throw the bar into lowermost position, but also to hold the 'saine inproper upright position, the upper portion of the bar preferably resting against the lug 12. At its upper portion the bar is cut away at one side to produce a shoulder 16 under the said lug, and therefore vertical movement of the bar is impossible, and the receiver suspension -hook is held in locked position. When a coin is inserted into the apparatus, it comes to rest above the upper end of the locking-bar and in an inclined position, thus presenting a cam-surface with which the said end of the locking-bar is adapted to coperate. If now the receiver is lifted from the suspension-hook, the usual spring connected to said hook forces the same upwardly, t-hus moving the bar along the inclined surface formed by the coin and causing the shoulder 16 to clear the lug 12 or the portion thereof which has prevented upward movement of the bar. Thelocking-bar is thus free to rise into unlocking position, and as the end of the locking-bar moves along the support for said coin is removed, and the coin or token is thus permitted to fall into a suitable coinreccptacle 17. If necessary, the bottom wall of the coin-raceway can be provided with a slot 18 to permit the desired movement of the lockingbar. As long as the receiver is removed from the suspension-hook this hook remains in elevated position, thus holding the locking-bar in the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. When, however, the receiver is again placed upon the suspension-hook,said hook falls,and thesupport beingthusremoved from beneath the locking-bar said bar also fallsintonormallockingposition. Preferably the end of the locking-bar is so guided in its movement toward unlocking position that said end is carried out of the line of the bottom of the coin when the same rests against the supports 13 and 14,. By reason of such provision there is no possibility of jamming the coin between the casing-wall and the locku ing-bar, and thus preventing or rendering uncertain the falling of the coin into the coinreceptacle. As a means for accomplishing the above-named action I have provided the lug 12 with a body in addition to that necessary to form the before-mentioned stop, and this additional ybody portion has an upwardly and outwardly inclined lower face 19, the term outwardly being applied to the portion of the device away from the coin-receptacle. This face lies at a more acute angle to a horizontal line than does the coin when the same is in position against the Supports 13 and 14, and the parts are so proportioned and arranged that as the locking-bar is raised by the receiver suspension-hook and its upper end is forced outwardly by the inclined coin the inner edge of the bar at the shoulder 16 engages the inclined surface 19 and is guided thereby during a portion of the upward movement of the bar. As the bar moves under the influence of the guiding-surface 19 its upper end is carried into the position indicated in Fig. 1*-71 e., the upper end of the bar is carried away from the line including the lower surface of the coin-and the coin is thus left free to fall. Manifestly an opening or slot 2O is provided between the guides 8 in order to permit the proper movement of the receiver suspension-hook. The lockingbar has play transverse the said slot, and it might therefore be possible for a person to engage the locking-bar with a penknife and move the same laterally sufficiently to permit its shoulder 16 to come into such position that upon upward movement of the bar said shoulder would engage the inclined surface 19 0f the lug 12, thus making it possible to operate the mechanism without the aid of a coin. In order to prevent such unauthorized use of the mechanism, I place a guard-plate 21 upon the side of the locking-bar which lies away from the telephone-box, said plate resting upon the receiver suspension -hook and being freely movable vertically in suitable grooves 22 in the guides S, said plate, however, having no lateral play. Although it is of course possible to lift the guardeplate, and thus gain access to the locking-bar, the use of the guard-plate is suiiicient to discourage attempts at unauthorized use of the telephone, for in order to reach the lockingbar for the purpose of moving the same the guard-plate must be lifted a considerable distance and must be held in this lifted position while the lockingbar is being acted upon. Of course a second plate of the character of that just described could, if desired, be placed upon the other side of the locking-bar; but as the side of the locking-bar away from the operator usually lies such a short distance from the telephone-box that it would be practically impossible to engage the locking-bar and manipulate the same the one plate will under nearly all circumstances be found su fcient.

I am aware that many minor changes in the construction, arrangement, and combination of the several parts of my device could be made and substituted for those herein shown and described without in the least departing from the nature and principle of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a mechanism of the character indiA cated, a casing provided with a bearing for the hereinafter-recited locking-bar, a loclting-bar guided by said bearing and being bodily movable upon the said bearing in two lines at an angle to each other, a stop in the path of normal movement of said bar, and means for supporting a coin in said path of normal movement of said bar and in position to present a deecting-surface to said bar to cause the same in its movement to be deflectn ed and thus clear said stop; substantially as described.

2. In a mechanism of the character indicated, a casing having guides with a space between them, a longitudinally-slidable lock ing-bar having one end between said guides, the outer end of the said space being of a IlO width no greater than that of the outer end of said bar and the space between said guides widening toward its inner end, whereby said bar is' laterally deflectable as well as longitudinally slidable, a stop in the path ot' longitudinal movement of said bar, and means for supporting a coin in the said path of longitudinal movement of said bar whereby said bar in its said movement engages said coin and is'thereby deflected to cause the bar to clear said stop; substantially as described.

3. In a mechanism of the character indicated, a casing having an abutment, a raceway which directs a coin against said abutment, and a second abutment which is above a coin resting against said first-mentioned abutment, an upwardly-slidable and laterally-deflectable locking-bar whose upper end is below a coin supported against said firstmentioned abutment and is adapted to support such coin in position to present an inclined surface to said bar end to cause the bar to be'deflected during its longitudinal movement, and a stop in the path of longitudinal movement of said bar and adapted to be cleared by said bar when the latter is deflected 'by said coin; substantially as described.

4. In a mechanism of the character indicated, alongitudinally-movable and laterallydeflectable locking-bar, a stop in the path of longitudinal movement of' said bar, and means for supporting a coin in the path of longitudinal movement ot' said bar in position to present a deiiecting-srface to the latter, wherebyin the longitudinal movement of said bar it engages said coin and is deiiected to clear said stop; substantially as described.

5. In a mechanism of the character indicated, alongitudinally-movable and laterallydeiiectable locking-bar, a stop in the path of longitudinal movement of said bar, means for support-in'g'a coin in the path of longitudinal movement of said bar in position to present a deflecting-sur-face tothe latter, whereby in the longitudinal movement of said bar it engages said coin and is deiiected to clear said stop, and means whereby after said bar clears said stop it is caused to disengage said coin; substantially as described.

6.' In a mechanism of the character indicated, a longitudinally-movable andlaterallydeilectable locking-bar, a stop in the path of longitudinal movement of said bar, means for supporting a coin in the path of longitudinal movement of said bar in position to present a deilecting-surface to the latter, whereby in the longitudinal movement of said bar it engages said coin and .is deflected to clear said stop, and a body adapted tobe engaged by said bar after the latter has cleared said'v stop, one of said last-mentioned engaging members being inclined whereby said bar is caused to move out of engagement With-said coin; substantially as described.

7 In a mechanism .of the character indicated, a movable locking member provided with a shoulder, a st'op in the path of normal movement of said shoulder, said locking member having movement to cause said shoulder to clear said stop, and means for supporting a coin upon said locking member in position to present a surface for defiecting the latter, said stop having an inclined face for moving said locking member out of coin-supporting position after said member has been defiected sufficiently to cause said shoulder to clear said stop; substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature, in the presence of two witnesses, this 3d day of July, 1902.

GALES P. MOORE.

Witnessesz WM. H. SCOTT, GEORGE BAKEWELL. 

